The price of viscose staple fiber (VSF) 1.2D has risen from a low of 12,800 yuan/ton to 14,200 yuan/ton over the past year, a 10.9% increase, and has since remained at a high plateau. This number serves as both a barometer for upstream textile raw materials and a reflection of the delicate ecology of the entire chemical fiber industry belt.
Price Stalemate: Behind the High-Level Plateau
According to publicly available industry data, the annual price trend for VSF 1.2D shows a classic 'step-up' pattern: hitting a low of 12,800 yuan/ton on July 28, 2025, then gradually climbing to 14,200 yuan/ton by July 28, 2026, the current price. More notably, this price has reached the highest level in a year, with zero daily change, indicating an extreme stalemate in the market.
Statistically, the 14,200 yuan/ton level is at the annual high, equal to the maximum value, and 1,400 yuan/ton above the minimum. The annual average is 13,290.38 yuan/ton, with a median of 13,500 yuan/ton. This means the current price is about 6.8% above the average and 5.2% above the median. For buyers, this is a clear 'premium zone'.
Supply-Demand Game: Cost vs. Demand
A high plateau is never accidental. The core reason VSF prices are 'stuck' at 14,200 yuan/ton lies in a fierce confrontation between two forces.
On the upstream side, raw material costs remain high. Dissolving pulp, the main raw material for VSF, has maintained a firm price over the past year due to tight global pulp supply and rising logistics costs. This puts VSF producers at risk of cost inversion, making them reluctant to lower prices.
On the downstream side, demand has not provided sufficient support. The textile end-market, especially apparel and home textiles, has undergone a destocking cycle over the past year. Downstream yarn and fabric mills are cautious in procurement, adopting a 'hand-to-mouth' strategy to avoid large inventories. This mentality directly leads to shrinking transaction volumes in the VSF market, with price increases lacking 'relay' from the demand side.
Industry Impact: Disconnection in Upstream-Downstream Transmission
This price stalemate has different impacts on various links of the chain. For VSF producers, especially those in Xinjiang, Shandong, and Jiangsu, high prices mean decent profit margins but also accumulating inventory pressure. If prices fail to break out, companies may face production cuts or maintenance.
For downstream yarn enterprises, high raw material costs directly compress processing profits. For example, rayon yarn prices have limited room to follow VSF increases, squeezing the spinning link's margins. Some small and medium enterprises have begun adjusting product mixes, reducing VSF-related products in favor of polyester or blended varieties.
From a regional industry belt perspective, textile clusters in Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, and Changle, Fujian, are particularly sensitive to changes in VSF demand. Weaving enterprises in these areas typically produce based on orders, with raw material procurement pace directly tied to final orders. Under current high prices, companies generally extend procurement cycles and reduce single purchase volumes.